Into The Woods
by Korutsu
Summary: It's a what if story about Riley and how he left.


In To The Woods / Never Say Good bye This is the what if version of "Into The Woods"What if Riley never left? What if Buffy got to Riley before he left?*Never Say Good Bye*XANDER: "Make you feel better?" Xander asked "What are you doing here?" Buffy replied"I thought you might need to talk. Then I saw the skirmish happen. I was gonna lend a hand, but I noticed you grew a few extra ones." Go home, Xander" Buffy said angrilyShe turns and starts to stride away. "Buffy." "I'm serious!" she said as she turns her back"So am I. Something's up. You're acting like a crazy person." Buffy turns and begins walking away again. Xander follows. Buffy pushes aside a large metal door and enters a random building. Xander enters after her. They walked in to a warehouse. Boxes and metal cans are stacked neatly on metal shelving. Buffy walks over to a set of shelves backed by a metal grating and leans her face against it. Xander walks in behind her. "Take this, for instance. You don't wanna deal, so you hide? It's not very slayer-like.""Just leave me alone, Xander. You have no idea what's going ? Good, so you and Riley *aren't* imploding? Buffy turns to face him in surprise "It doesn't take a genius. What I can't figure out is how you never saw it coming.""What? Who told you?" Buffy said with a pissed look on her face."Nobody told me anything, Buffy. It was right in front of my Xander face. The guy would do anything for you.""The guy got himself bit by a vampire!" Xander is surprised "He lied to me. He ran around behind my back and almost got himself killed! And now he tells me that he's leaving with some covert military operation at midnight unless *I* convince him not to. Now tell me that you understand. Because I sure as hell don't.""You gonna let him go?"Buffy sighs "It's not my decision to make.""Of course it is.""Well, it's not fair.""Who cares if it's fair? In about twenty minutes, Riley's gonna disappear, maybe forever, unless you do something to stop him.""What am I supposed to do? Beg him to stay?""Why wouldn't you? To keep Riley here-"Buffy cuts him off "I don't even know who he is any more. I mean, I thought he was ... Dependable.""Dependable? What is he, State Farm?""You know what I mean.""Yeah. I think you mean convenient. I think you took it for granted that he was gonna show up when you wanted him to, and take off when you didn't.""Look who's talking. Look who has Anya following him around like a lovesick puppy.""Oh boy, is this *not* about me.""Is she more than a convenience? 'Cause that would kind of be a surprise."Angrily "If you don't wanna hear what I have to say, I'll shut up right now.""Good, 'cause I don't." She starts to walk off. Xander intercepts her. "I lied. See, what I think, you got burned with Angel, then Riley shows up.""I know the story, Xander.""But you miss the point. You shut down, Buffy. And you've been treating Riley like the rebound guy. When he's the one that comes along once in a lifetime." Buffy looks dismayed "He's never held back with you. He's risked everything. And you're about to let him fly because you don't like ultimatums?" Buffy's eyes begin to water as Xander's words finally get through. "If he's not the guy, if what he needs from you just isn't there, (shakes head) let him go. Break his heart, and make it a clean break. But if you really think you can love this guy ... I'm talking scary, messy, no-emotions-barred need ... if you're ready for that ... then think about what you're about to lose."Buffy looks up at him, then looks around anxiously. There are tears in her eyes."Xander…""Run" Xander said. She turns and runs out. Xander watches as the door slams behind ran as fast as she could, she turned the corner and began running down a residential street. Riley stands beside a launch pad waiting, hoping that she will come, the helicopter engine starts. She started to breath harder and harder, she was running down the middle of the street. Her breaths where getting shorter, she jumped up on to the side walk and over to a patch of grass. Riley turned and began to walk off to the chopper, he sighed deeply. The chopper engine started. Still breathing hard Buffy was still running as fast as she could. As Riley got in to the chopper Buffy reached the clearing, she screamed but her voice was muffled by the helicopter. The chopper was rising higher and higher, Buffy watched as Riley was flying out of her life. She could feel her heart brake, tears welled in her eyes. "noooo, Riley you can't leave me" She looked into the sky as the helicopter flew higher and higher, she looked down at the ground, there was a rock on the pavement. Buffy quickly picked it up, she looked at the helicopter and through the rock. The rock bounced off the side of the window,"Riley" Buffy screamed. Riley looked momentarily down at the launch pad, then he saw her. "Buffy" He yelled "Let me out now" "I'm sorry but we can't land again agent Finn""Fine" Riley said Riley reached under his seat and grabbed the emergency cable from under his seat and clasped it to his belt and the bar under his seat. As Riley stood up the second agent in the helicopter tried to stop him, "stop agent Finn" Riley drove his fist into the face of the other agent, Buffy stood on the launch pad staring up at the man she loved fighting to get back to her. Riley dove out of the helicopter and propelled down to the ground. He un-clasped the cable from his belt and stood facing Buffy. She looked at him for a moment then gasped as she ran and jumped into his arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him. "I'm sorry, you where right. I never really let you in" she gasped as tears streamed down her face. "Buffy, I was so scared, I thought you weren't gonna come. Then I looked down and say you" "I screamed your name but you didn't hear me" "I'll never let you go again" Riley said as he held her in his arms"Buffy looked down at the ground and then back up at Riley,"what's wrong?" Riley asked "with the initiative guys gone you have no place to stay now do you?""well no""Fine then you can come and stay with me" "Now let's go home" Buffy said As they began to walk away they could hear the chopper in the distance, they continued walking when there they could hear the chopper above them then the spot light shun down on them. The chopper landed and the two men jumped out and came running toward Riley and Buffy, "quick we got to get out of here" Riley saidThey ran as fast as they could, over fallen trees and bushes. "this way" Buffy said as she strayed off the trail, they ran through the high bushes until they approached a fence, the two men from the Iniative where still following not too far behind. "this way" Riley said. He began to climb into a bush. The two men approached the fence, they stood in front of the two, "where did they go they where right here" Buffy reached under her and took a branch, she threw it out to the side, "over there" the men said together. They began to run over to the nearby bush. Riley quickly jumped out of the bush pulling Buffy with him. They ran down the path and out to the street. "we need to get to my house before they find us" the two men came out of the forest "look there they are" and like a present sent from god Xander pulled up in his car, "quick get in". Riley and Buffy jumped in the car, "go" Buffy yelled, Xander sped off."Well you got to him in time did you" Xander said"yea she did" " Riley, you where right, I held back, I love you I want you to have all of me" Buffy said as a tear streamed down her face. She kissed him on the cheek and rested her head on his chest. "okay we are home" Xander pulled in to the driveway. The front door opened, and Dawn came out, "Help" Dawn ran with tears falling from her eyes. "Dawn what's wrong?""there's a demon, in there" at that Riley took of into the house."Riley wait!" Buffy ran after ran in to hear a get wrenching scream from Riley. She turned the corner into the kitchen, a clevena demon had stabbed Riley through his chest. "NOOOO" Buffy yelled. The demon pulled it's blade from riley in a fast movement and escaped through the back door. Buffy ran over to Riley's side, "it'll be okay, it has to be I just got you back""no it won't be okay, this is it the end" "no it can't be, I'll never say goodbye"Dawn enters with tears still streaming down her face;"Riley oh my god I'll call 911" Dawn ran out into the living room, and picked up the phone to dial the number."Buffy held Riley's head up, "you can't leave me, please don't leave me"He looked up and smiled, "some people live there whole lives and die with nothing but I lived and received the love of the most amazing woman, the slayer, the savoir, my lover." Riley slowly closed his eyes,"no don't do that, come on stay with me""I'm just resting my eyes, no worries'"no open them, NOW! Please… Riley, … Riley,… RILEY!!!"Dawn re enters the room, "there on their way… no", she falls to her pass when sirens are herd, The paramedics walk in to find dawn in the corner of the room and Buffy on the floor clutching her dead beloved, "Maim, move so we can help him," The man reaches for Riley, "NO!" Buffy slaps his hand away knocking him back, She sits rocking back and forth "he's not gone, he's not gone, he's not gone,"All Fades so black.

Disclaimer

*These characters are not created be me, they have been created by the staff of Buffy the vampire slayer. I take no Credit for the characters, only the different direction taken for the ending*


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